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17/03/2008 – How Off-site Construction is Challenging Conventional School Building Methods

 

David Johnson, Director and General Manager of education construction specialists, Yorkon, looks at the latest advances in off-site technology, and how it can help schools and local authorities deliver world class education facilities more effectively.

Building Schools for the Future is the biggest ever school building programme, rebuilding or renewing every secondary school in England. The scale of this initiative is unprecedented and welcome, but it presents a major challenge to the construction industry - an industry that is still fraught with time and cost overruns, and a lack of commitment to delivering buildings with zero defects.


Changing Perceptions

Modular building is challenging conventional methods of construction through innovation and the value it can add to the development process has been proven. Completion times can be halved, and work on site is safer, quieter and less disruptive - with a direct and positive impact on teaching.

The perception that modular school buildings are draughty, restrictive in layout and temporary is changing. With good design, committed architects and clients, and more efficient processes, off-site construction is now providing inspirational and stimulating learning environments, with complete long-term flexibility.

Buildings can be easily expanded, vertically or horizontally, without the need for decanting. Non load bearing partitions and clear unrestricted internal spans of up to 12m facilitate space planning and the ability to meet a school's changing needs.

Quality is also significantly improved because construction work is moved from a muddy site into a more efficient and cleaner factory environment, with a permanent, highly trained workforce which is committed to the drive for zero defects.


Reducing the Risk of Time and Cost Overruns

A key advantage of building off site is the higher degree of predictability it can offer - reducing the risk of time and cost overruns. Over the past five years, for example, Yorkon has delivered 96 per cent of building projects on time and 94 per cent on budget.

And with the technological advances in off-site construction, there is no compromise on design:

• A wider range of dry cladding options allows designers to achieve architectural variety for the building envelope, with all the speed and quality benefits of building off site.
• Full height curtain walling can be specified to reduce the reliance on artificial lighting and enhance the internal environment.
• Windows in ribbon, punched hole or composite configurations are factory-installed to improve safety on site and build quality.
• Module sizes, configurations and layouts can be designed to suit individual sites and project requirements, with larger modules up to 15m long and 3.3m wide providing greater cost efficiency, fewer vehicle movements to site, less cranage and fewer construction joints.
• Curved modules can create shaped buildings and façades, and allow more efficient development of irregular sites.

Meeting the Sustainability Challenge

The issue of sustainability continues to increase in importance - and construction has perhaps the greatest impact on the environment than any other sector or activity. Until now, there has been limited evidence to prove the case that off-site construction is a more sustainable method of delivering high quality education buildings. The advantages include:

• Up to 67 per cent less energy is required to produce a modular building compared to an equivalent traditionally-built project (source: Arup)
• Off-site construction can generate up to 90 per cent fewer vehicle movements to site - reducing carbon emissions, congestion and disruption (source: Mtech)
• Off-site construction can reduce on-site waste by up to 90 per cent (source: WRAP)
• Full-scale independent tests for air permeability have shown that Yorkon modular buildings consistently perform up to 70 per cent better than Building Regulations requirements - improving the thermal efficiency of school buildings, lowering running costs, and reducing carbon emissions.

A wide range of ‘greener' design options is also now available for school buildings constructed off site, including passive ventilation, biomass boilers, solar thermal heating, solar photovoltaics for electricity, ground source heat pumps, green roofs, and combined heat and power systems.


The Advantages and Design Possibilities of Off-site Construction in Practice

A new project in South Wales for one of Britain's oldest schools, demonstrates some of the advantages and design possibilities of off-site construction.

Designed by P+HS Architects and built by Yorkon, the new science facilities at Christ College in the Brecon Beacons National Park are now under construction.

According to Phil Bentley, Project Architect of P+HS Architects, "The off-site approach will help this new building fit into a small, constrained site. It will reduce the build time for the project and offer considerable reduction in site traffic. It is giving the client greater certainty of completion on time and on budget. And the building modules can be installed during school holidays, with internal fitting out during term time, to further minimise disruption to teaching."

The new building will replace an outdated 1950s block, expanding the science facilities with all the laboratories together under one roof. Its design responds to the building's sensitive location in the National Park, using local materials such as Welsh stone and timber cladding.

Two physics and two biology laboratories, a sixth form project room, and laboratory technician's rooms will be grouped around a double height central atrium that will function as an additional teaching area and exhibition space. This central ‘street' will also allow pupils to move through the space at peak times and gather informally before and after lessons.

The building will also maximise sustainability, with features such as natural ventilation and daylight, solar water heating and high levels of insulation to conserve energy.


What Next?

There is more interest in off-site construction in the education sector than ever before - a reflection of the Government's unprecedented investment programme and the fact that the perception of modular buildings has changed dramatically.

But there is still work to do in educating local authorities, schools, architects and contractors about the huge potential of off-site construction and the options available for combining innovative design with all the benefits of modern construction methods.

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